


Parachute

by Winds81



Series: Lost Time [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-03 22:58:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11542188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winds81/pseuds/Winds81
Summary: Two years after losing his fiancee, Draco has withdrawn from the world into his own monotonous routine.  The birth of a sibling, and the timely visit from a former rival start to draw him back out of his shell.  As Draco begins to emerge from his self-imposed exile, he must contend not only with his own inner self but the bigotry imposed by those whom have yet to accept a new world order.





	1. Chapter 1

Draco's world seemed to exist in shades of gray.

 

Not the book, mind you, though he'd had the displeasure of coming across it once while visiting Amelia in the States, early on in their courtship. He'd read a few pages, out of curiosity, and had become both intrigued and horrified in equal parts at the contents. Amelia had at just that moment come across him, and with bright red color high in her cheeks, positively snatched it out of his hands and chucked it into a closet where it could no longer be seen. Not that that had stopped him from teasing her about it for years. Or, from trying some of the things he'd read about on those few pages.

 

Amelia. The witch whom had brought color into his world, after a lifetime of dark thoughts and darker deeds. The first person to make him laugh with abandon as she danced around a pond, imitating an interpretive dance version of “The Frog Prince”, complete with picking up a random tree frog and pretending to kiss it. Unfortunately, the aforementioned amphibian did not give his consent to her molestation, and in it's attempt to flee had ended up instead down the front of her dress giving the impromptu ballet a suddenly completely different tempo. It was also the first night Draco got to see her breasts as he helped chase the little creature out of her garment and released it back into the wild. Even more important, it was the night of their first kiss. Wild, and ragged, and pressed against a tree with a splinter working it's way into his palm. He wouldn't have had it any other way.

 

The first night he'd brought her to his home, she'd let loose some very unladylike curses as she'd walked into the entrance and realized exactly how well off his family was. Of course, that had been the moment that Lucius had walked up, and Draco was the only one to see the elder Malfoy's eyes nearly disappear into his hairline. A moment later however, the exuberant witch threw herself into Lucius's arms, kissed him on the cheek, and told him how she adored a man who was brave enough to have long hair – especially as beautiful as his was. Lucius, while having eaten his fair share of humble pie over the years, maintained some vanity in regards to his hair, and immediately took a liking to her. Though, Draco did catch his father's left eye twitching imperceptibly at Amelia's accent from time to time. And while he couldn't prove it, he suspected Amelia saw it as well, and on occasion – such as when he and Lucius had had an argument – over emphasized her southern twang.

 

She had known about the war in Europe, as it had spilled into the States as well though on a lesser level. It had taken him a long time to tell her of his part, and show her his faded mark. She'd accepted it as a part of his past, and made it very clear she expected it would never be a part of their future together. Draco had cried that night, and sworn to her that who he was then was no one he ever wanted to be again. She'd made love to him sweetly, promising she would always try to bring out the best in him.

 

The night she had agreed to marry Draco was, perhaps, the greatest of his life. He'd waited until a full moon, taken her out on the moors where light snow had dusted the ground, and dropped onto one knee just as midnight struck. Her enthusiastic yes, followed by flinging her arms around his neck, and kissing him until he'd apparated them back directly onto his bed was the happiest memory he had.

 

Amelia's death had felt like it was punishment for everything he'd ever done wrong in his entire life. And while he'd thought the loss of his mother was atonement enough, apparently the fates were not satisfied. As her life was extinguished, so was every vibrant color from his world. Days rolled, one to the other, starting and ending the same. He woke up, cleaned himself up, ate breakfast, went to work at Gringotts promptly at 9 am, worked until lunch which he always ate in his office, and then worked again until 6 pm when he would apparate home and spend the evenings puttering around the manor. Some evenings he would walk or fly or ride across the grounds, some evenings he would work out in solitude and some he spent sipping brandy and reading or watching the telly Hermione had magicked to work in their house until it was time to go to bed. He would, on occasion, Floo a friend to catch up or rarely go out to have a drink. Mostly, Draco had effectively become a hermit, completely disinterested in life outside of his own, muted, small world. His heart, shattered, fluttered ineffectively within his chest, just beating enough to keep him waking every morning.

 

It had been with this same dulled perspective he'd taken in the news that his father and Hermione were getting married, and oh yeah, he was going to have a sibling. He had managed to congratulate them with as much enthusiasm as he could manage, goodness knew they deserved it, but inside his heart trembled a little more. He didn't wish to deny anyone their happiness, but that small voice deep inside wailed and howled at the injustice of it all. It bemoaned their happiness when he had been stripped of it all. That he might never know that place of joy, of laughter, of companionship ever again. That night, Hermione had found him in the library, sobbing as he held Amelia's favorite book to his chest. To her credit, she didn't say anything, just sat next to him on the couch and pulled him into her embrace, holding him until he could cry no more.

 

Approximately 7 months later, he'd been made aware of his impending big brotherhood by his dad running in frantic circles around the Manor as Hermione calmly gathered her previously packed bags. They'd Flooed to St. Mungo's in the wee hours of the morning, and by 7 pm his father peeked his head back to let him know their daughter had arrived and that mum and baby were doing well. He was quite certain he could see tear stains down Lucius's face, even through the floo.

 

He visited the next morning, and was immediately disconcerted to see Hermione still in the bed, clothed in a hospital gown. Visions of his mother and his fiancee danced behind his eyes, and he stood awkwardly at the entrance to the door – teddy bear in one hand, flowers in the other, suddenly frozen to his spot. Hermione had seen him first, and must have recognized the look on his face, because she reached out a hand to him, inviting him in. His lead-lined feet dragged across the threshold, and he kept focused on her as he slowly crept closer. Mutely he thrust out the flowers, and she smiled, placing them on the table next to her before grasping his hand in her own. She gently pressed her cheek to it, her eyes warm as she caught his.

 

“Do you want to see her?” Draco nodded, and turned to where she was looking. He was mildly surprised to see his dad standing behind him, his face awash in pride and joy, and tinged with a little anxiety. Draco shuffled over to them, taking in his half sister for the first time. She was small, pink and scrunchy, but he could see the warm brown curls already forming on her head and a small smile flickered across his lips that Granger would manage to overpower one of the most defining Malfoy traits. And then she yawned, and opened her eyes, and he felt his smile widen a little more as her silver eyes met his. Or maybe they didn't – Hermione said babies couldn't see immediately after birth- but it felt like she was looking directly at him.

 

“Her name is Celeste Amelia Malfoy” came Hermione's voice from her place by his side. Blindly, Draco reached down and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly in his own, unable to talk. He hadn't held her that day, but he watched her as she did the things babies died. Blinked, wriggled, blew a spit bubble, and grunted. His father had a rapturous look on his face as he watched her, disbelieving as he was happy. Draco wished he could feel the same.

 

It was 6 months to the day later that Hermione had begged him to please take care of Celeste. Lucius had managed to pick up a nasty magical stomach flu, which he very kindly passed on to his wife, and it had thus far proven resistant to any magical or potion interference. As she was fleeing back to the bathroom, she'd called frantically to Draco, asking him to check in on daughter and tend to her needs. He'd begrudgingly agreed, but only because he knew the little bit couldn't care for herself.

 

When he'd entered the nursery, he'd noted the soft golden and silver hues that cavorted across the wallpaper and imbued the room with a comforting glow. While he'd been peripherally aware of her presence in the house, he'd not been directly involved in much of Celeste's care, and now warily walked over to her bassinet to check in on her.

 

Full, cherubic cheeks, and far too knowing slate eyes looked back up at him, judging him as he judged her. Her hair was that fine baby whisp, that curled uncontrollably on top of her head. Draco felt his lips twitch, pulled to one side as if they were trying to remember how to smile again. She opened her mouth and let out a gurgling, “Braaa”, waving her left hand in his general direction.

 

“Hullo there little one” he responded softly. She repeated the word, and wriggled her hand around in a circle at him. The other side of his mouth began to curve upwards as well, and he reached his right hand down towards her, fingers stretching for her round little belly. Approximately half way between the edge of the bassinet and her body, her fingers found his and curled, immediately, possessively, firmly around his index finger. At the contact, she looked at his finger, and then back at his face, and broke out into a toothless, drooly smile.

 

And just like that, one half of Draco's heart leapt back together, and began beating again.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Celeste shrieked out in joy as Draco pretended to fly her down the hall, dipping and soaring her with his arms. She had a fake broom attached to her waist, and Draco made the accompanying zooming noises as they went up and down and twirled around. He laughed as she threw her hands in the air during one daring dip from the top of his reach towards the ground, and then pulled her up against him closely. She giggled, and grabbed his lapel as he leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

Muffled voices from the end of the hall at the living room grew louder, and he curiously walked closer with his sister in tow. She tugged on him again and pointed up, and he smiled indulgently while shaking his head, “In a moment” he replied. She pouted, and pointed up again. 

As they drew close to the room, he could more clearly make out the voices. Granger's was clear, but the second...It took him until he stood in the open door to identify Ginny Weasley. As he caught sight of her in the light from the fireplace, he realized he hadn't recognized her voice because she had been crying, as evidenced by puffy eyes and sniffles. 

“They SUSPENDED ME Hermione! Me!” she wailed. Hermione reached over and wrapped an arm around Ginny's shoulder, rubbing it.

“What happened?” she asked, and Ginny sniffled again before tossing a copy of the Daily Prophet on the table next to them. Hermione grabbed it out of curiousity, and winced at the picture on the front page. Clear as day, Ginny Weasley was punching Rathilda More – head seeker for the Appleby Arrows – in the nose, causing the older girl to drop like a sack of potatoes, “Oh, Ginny. I keep telling you that temper of yours is going to get you in trouble”

 “She was a bitch. She deserved it!” exclaimed Ginny, hands balling into fists. Hermione rubbed her back.

 "Yes, but you can't just run around hitting everyone who insults you. Especially not with your contract. You're lucky a suspension is all they gave you”

 “Gee, thanks mom” grumbled the redhead. Hermione winced.

 “I didn't mean it like that” she backpedaled. Ginny's posture softened.

 “I know. She just...She was rubbing my face in the fact that she was sleeping with Oliver. Oliver! Already! We've just broken up last week! And then she made a remark about George being disfigured...and the next thing I knew she was on the ground with a broken nose”

 Hermione giggled, before trying to put back on a serious face, “You know, George wouldn't care what someone said about him. He's quite proud of his scars” Ginny glanced at her friend, and her sad face melted a little, grin playing at her lips.

 “Oh, I know. And it certainly doesn't hurt his chances with the ladies. Mum keeps hoping he'll settle down with some nice girl, and I think she had her heart set on you. Until you decided to upgrade” she replied with a pointed look. Hermione flushed, and shrugged.

 At that moment Celeste grasped a lock of Draco's hair and tugged hard, trying to get his attention back to flying. He cursed – since the death of Amelia he hadn't been able to bring himself to cut it. He didn't want to see the man whom had the world in his hands looking back at him anymore. As a result his hair was now quite long, brushing in a straight sheet to his lower back. Instead of the silver tone his father sported, as it grew out it had developed into more of a gold platinum with honey highlights. It surprised himself more than anyone, but he'd grown fond of it. He'd even allowed his facial hair to grow out, and kept a well managed stubble as opposed to the clean shaven look he'd always favored.

 Hermione snapped her head around at the word, and snapped, “DRACO! Language!”

 He grimaced as he untangled the toddler's hand from his hair, and attempted to look chagrined, “Sorry, Mum” Hermione's brow furrowed – she hated when he called her that. It was, of course, in jest as she hardly wanted to act his mum and he certainly didn't see her as such. But the annoyance it caused her made it worth while to keep up with it. It was the small things sometimes.

 Ginny snickered, and Draco tossed a smirk in her direction, “Suspended, eh Weasley? Maybe they'll start winning some games again”

 Immediately the redhead scowled at him, “You're a right git, you know that Malfoy?” she snapped back, blue eyes flashing.

 “Ginny!” howled Hermione, stalking towards Draco to grab her daughter. Draco turned and lifted her away.

 “We were just playing broom ride!” he exclaimed, “Celia was loving it!”

 “Celeste, Draco. Her name is Celeste. And she doesn't need to be catered to every second of the day. You're going to spoil her”

 “Celia doesn't think there's anything wrong with that, does she?” Draco looked at the little girl shaking his head. Celeste mimicked him, shaking her head right back, “See?”

 “Oh for Merlin's sake” Hermione placed a hand on her forehead, “You are aware that this is my child, not yours, right?”

 “Oh no. She's a Malfoy. She belongs to all of us,” he responded gamely with a cheeky smile.

 “Merlin help us all” muttered Ginny, cheeks still red.

 “I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, Weasel. You are, after all, a guest in our home”

 “My guest, Draco. In my home, “ replied Hermione as she made another swipe for the little girl. Draco ducked her low this time, right out of reach of her mother.

 “It was ours first. But, I'll allow it”

 “Draco, if you're not going to let me have my daughter, then I expect you to change her nappie and put her down for a rest” Hermione demanded, fists on her hips. Draco glanced at the little girl, and tentatively sniffed her. Immediately he swung around and deposited her into Hermione's arms, “That's what I thought”

 Ginny grinned then, and reached over to grab her goddaughter, “Come on, Celeste. I'll show you how to really ride a broom. And then I tell you a story before you go down for a nap”

 “For the love of pete, I can take care of my own child!” griped Hermione, following Ginny back down the hall,

 “Yeah, but why when you have all this help?”

 “And who's pete?” came Lucius' voice from the next room over. Draco smiled, it was a strange life they'd built for themselves, but it was a good one. He knew his father hoped that he would re-enter the “real world” and perhaps build a family of his own, but for now he was content with the little home they had.

 He had been surprised at how much he loved having a younger sibling, especially one as young as Celia, but she'd eased some of the ache that still surrounded his heart. She loved him, unconditionally, because he was her brother. She knew nothing of who he had been, just who he was at that day and moment and time. And she made him want to continue the work that Amelia had started, trying to better himself. He wanted to be someone that someday his sister could stand up and be proud to say she was related to.

For now, that was enough. Well, that and riling Hermione up every chance that he got. He was fairly certain she was ready to shove him through the Floo some days into some random location, but thus far had managed to refrain. He'd started combining Celeste's first and middle name a few months after he'd begun providing more care to her, and decided he'd both liked the sound of it AND the way it made Hermione's teeth grind so much that he'd kept up with it. He did, however, prefer to avoid nappie duty, so he tried not to annoy her at the most inopportune times.

Draco ran his fingers back through his hair, straightening the tangles from sticky little fingers. He paused, leaning against the door to his father's study, watching him working at his desk. The Lucius he'd grown up with – stern, aloof, a touch callous – had mostly melted away into the man he was today. The man who actually had laugh lines, and an easy smile. His heart panged a moment – perhaps, some day, the fates would be kind enough to allow him the same. As if he could hear his thoughts, Lucius looked up and smiled at his son.

“Going out today, son?” he asked, a touch of hope in his voice. Draco returned a muted smile.

“Not today. Maybe tomorrow,” he replied, the lie slipping easily off his tongue. Lucius's smile remained, but he regarded him quietly and nodded.

“Don't take too long,”he responded, “Take it from someone who knows - you don't want to miss your whole life by avoiding it”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Draco wandered the gardens behind the Manor, both reveling in and resenting the quiet. It was peaceful, but peaceful sometimes lead to maudlin thoughts about life and death and those who were no longer with us. He sighed, and hummed softly, his feet automatically leading him down the path towards his mother's favorite labyrinth. 

When he was a child, he'd been afraid of the hedge maze. He'd slipped away from his parents when he was only 4, and gotten lost in the many turns. He'd ended up sitting in a corner and crying until his mother had found him, picking him up and cuddling him into quiescence. When he was 10, he'd finally hit a growth spurt that allowed him to see over the bushes and observe the varying pathways, but it wasn't until he was in his late teens that he finally overcame his fear. As the war had carried on, and he and his family had suffered under Voldemort's rule, it had become the one place he and his mother would walk, usually in silence, to escape the tyrant and the hell their home had become.

When Narcissa had died, he would walk again to try and commune with her spirit. He had shown the path to Amelia, and she had taken to walking with him at least once a week, offering her unusually restrained companionship as they wandered to the pond at the center. It became ritual, a way to bond with the memory of someone she would never meet. Now, the path reminded him of the two most important women in his life.

As he approached the center today, though, his ears piqued at the sound of sniffling. Stepping around the edge of the last hedge, he found Ginny Weasley seated on the ground, eyes trained on the pond. He paused, surprised at her presence in his otherwise sacred place.

She looked up at him, watery blue eyes widening in similar curiosity.

He cleared his throat, “Weasley”

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, “Malfoy”

A small frown crossed his lips, “Why are... I mean, what brings you here? To this spot?”

She pursed her lips, “I came over to visit Hermione. Lots of free time now, you know? And she was busy with Celeste so I decided to take a walk. I ended up here...and then I saw the flowers” she sucked in a breath.

Draco crossed his arms, making his gaze indifferent, “Of course. Beautiful flowers always make me want to cry too”

Ginny scowled then, “No, you dolt. They're lillies. Lillies were Fred's favorite flowers”

Draco wasn't able to school the surprise from his expression, and could only answer a dumb, “Oh”

She looked away from him, “I mean, it's not like I always cry when I see lillies, but sometimes...I don't know. It's like it's the perfect moment – the right day, the right color flower, the right smells. And it just hits you, out of nowhere”

That, he did understand. That wave of grief that stole up out from your gut, and broke over your heart, and settled into your bones. Sometimes it was a little lapping ripple, and sometimes it was a massive swell that brought you to your knees before you could even process what had happened.   
Draco wasn't sure what compelled him to do it, but he found himself sitting down next to Ginny, stretching his long legs out before him and placing his weight onto his palms, “My mum designed this pond. She wanted it to attract magical and non-magical beings” he said softly.

Ginny nodded, and replied softly, “It's beautiful”

He nodded, melancholy and anger twisting at his heart in equal measures, “It's not fair” he whispered. Ginny shook her head next to him.

“It's not”

“Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't it have been someone else? Or no one?”

“Questions to ask God” came the despondent voice next to him. Draco scowled at the pond, grabbing and throwing a rock into it to disturb it's glassy surface with ripples.

“How can you be so glib? How can you be ok with losing your brother?” he demanded, slate eyes seeking hers out. She tilted her head at him, narrowing her own eyes as she studied his face.

“You think I'm ok with what happened to Fred? What happened to Lupin and Tonks? What happened to Lavender? What almost happened to Harry?”

“I just don't understand... How can you just move on and leave them?”

Comprehension blossomed across her face, and she reached over, hand warm over the top of his, “Draco, you don't have a monopoly on grief. Not after what we all went through. I lost a brother. Hermione tried to save her parents by making them forget her, but they were killed before the final battle all the same. Everyone lost someone. But you can't... You can't just stay there with their bodies”

Tears slipped down her cheek again, “Fred loved life. He lived every second of it to his fullest, and he never let other people's expectations hold him back. If he thought, for a second, that I wasn't living my life because I was spending too much time thinking about him, he'd probably set off a firework under my feet”

Draco gave her an amused look at the thought. She returned a watery smile. “The point is, if you don't get busy living you may as well be dead with them”

Draco sighed, thoughts drifting to his mother and Amelia. His heart panged, and as if she knew Ginny squeezed his hand. He turned the hand over, grasping hers as well. He swallowed hard, giving life to the words he'd been hiding for 2 years, “I don't want to forget”

“That won't happen. So long as you love them, it never will”

He nodded again, silent, unable to put words to his thoughts. Ginny sighed next to him, and leaned her head on his shoulder in camraderie, “Besides, from what little I know about Amelia, I think she'd hex your balls if she knew what a complete, self-involved, prat you've been for the past two years”

Draco snorted then, the laughter surprising him and he felt Ginny smile next to him. Neither said another word then, as they sat in thoughtful silence, watching the sun drift down behind the hedges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's short! But necessary!


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione stood in their shared office, staring over the papers on the desk in front of her. She was trying to work out the meaning to a rune as the result of a prank gone wrong, but her mind kept skipping away to other things. Family things. Her daughter, Draco and even Ginny. She hummed softly, swaying her hips back and forth as she tried to refocus her thoughts on work repeatedly.

 

She heard Lucius's quiet steps before she felt him, and he settled his hands on her hips and his chin on her shoulder. She smiled then, continuing to hum to herself as he kissed her cheek.

 

“What's a lovely girl like you, doing in a place like this?” he teased gently. She chuckled and turned her head to catch his lips with her own.

 

“Ah, you know. Pretending to work. Contemplating the mysteries of the universe. Wondering how to get a stain out of my skirt” she replied, appreciating the soft smile that he reciprocated.

 

“Ah, well, that sounds very serious. I should definitely let you get back to it” he answered, winding his hands around her waist, fingers teasing the hemline of her shirt. She shivered against him, and he leaned down to kiss the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He tightened his grasp on her waist, one hand smoothing up her stomach towards her breasts, and she whimpered, “When are we going to get married?” he asked suddenly, voice directly in her ear.

 

She stiffened then, and caught his eyes with her own, “I don't know” she answered honestly. He stilled against her for a moment, cocking his head quizzically, and she sighed, “I wanted to wait until after Celeste was born so it didn't look like we just did this because we were going to have a child. But now, with Draco still being so....depressed... I feel guilty about celebrating, you know?”

 

She felt Lucius relax imperceptibly around her, and turned in his arms to grasp his face between her hands, “Oh, darling. Nothing on heaven or earth will ever keep me from marrying you”

 

His face softened and he caught her lips in his for a searing kiss. Once she was flushed and panting he released her, “Hermione, I love my son dearly. But, he has to find his own way out of this darkness he's created. I've tried to offer him help, tried to connect, but until he decides he wants to come back to the rest of us, there's little more we can do. I don't want to put my life on hold, indefinitely, until he finds the answers he's looking for” She nodded, and he turned her around so that her back was flush against his chest again, and he began winding his arms up under her blouse once more, “Choose a date”

 

She gasped as his hands cupped under her breasts, before his right fingers scooped down the cup of her bra to pluck at her nipple, “April” she moaned. He palmed her left breast appreciatively before grinding his groin against her backside.

 

“April what?” he asked, mouth hot on her ear, tongue snaking out to trace the shell of it. She panted then, and responded

 

“April 25th”

 

He grinned against her ear, and his left hand slid down her leg to grab the hem of her skirt and push it up, “Good girl” he murmured, and he felt her shudder against him. As her skirt bunched around her waist she felt him rapidly undo his trousers, before pulling her knickers aside and pressing into her. She groaned as she felt him slide home, and fell forward over her the desk, breasts pressed against the wood. For a moment, she thought she saw the door move, but then he surged forward and all other thoughts fled from her head as Lucius reminded her how much he wanted to be with her.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Draco tossed the small towel over his shoulder as he headed back to his rooms from the converted gym he'd created in his mother's old suite. He was more than a little surprised to see someone running towards him, and realized after a beat that it was Ginny.

 

“Weasel?” he asked, the old nickname coming out before he could stop it. Her eyes were huge, and she had a hand over her mouth as she rushed towards him.

 

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod” was her chant, and she grabbed his arm and dragged him the opposite direction.

 

He dug his heels in, slowing forward momentum, even as she tugged him in her direction, “What's wrong?”

 

“I just was coming...Ohmygod....I was coming to help Hermione with a work problem...” she looked a little green around the gills. Draco tilted his head, brows furrowed, “Lucius! Hermione!” she exclaimed,

 

Understanding dawned across Draco's face and then he grimaced, rubbing his free hand across his eyes,”In the office?” he asked. She nodded, mutely, before a nauseated look crossed her face, “They're terrible about locking the doors.” he paused and added, “And about using silencing charms”

 

She shot him a horrified look, “This isn't the first time??”

 

Draco snorted, “Hardly. I am amazed I don't have at least 2 or 3 more siblings already. They're like rabbits” Ginny clamped her hands over her ears then and groaned.

 

“I don't need to hear this. I don't need to know this. I'm NEVER GETTING THAT IMAGE OUT OF MY HEAD” she cried out. Draco winced again, glancing down the hall towards to his room past the office.

 

“Believe me, I wish I could” he answered, wrinkling his nose, “Well, so much for a bath”

 

Ginny glanced at him then, officially perusing him, realizing he was wearing muggle gym shorts and a sleeveless workout top. He smirked, “Like what you see?” She flushed a little, her eyes going back up to his. To his surprise, instead of backing down, she took a step closer, blue eyes warming as she reached over to run her hand down his side, and rest it on his left hip.

 

“Malfoy, I've always liked what I see when it comes to you” she responded, a touch breathily. His heart skipped unexpectedly, and his breath came out in a little puff even as he felt his cheeks get pink. Then, she grinned, an impish look as she skipped back away from him, “Oh, Merlin, you're too much fun”

 

He coughed, and rubbed the back of his head then, smiling a little as he saw her giggling a few feet away from him, very pleased with herself. Willing other parts of himself to calm down, he responded gruffly, “Come on, let's get something to eat”

She followed him down the hallway into the kitchen, where he opened the freezer door of their recently acquired refrigerator, “Merlin, you have actual muggle appliances?” she asked. Draco grabbed two pints of ice cream and put them onto the island in the center of the room.

 

“You don't?” he teased back. Ginny huffed.

 

“Of course not. I'm pretty sure Hermione is literally the only witch that could charm them to work in a wizarding home”

 

He nodded, “I'm pretty sure, too. But, I'll be honest, it does beat having to wake up a bloody elf every time you want to eat something” Ginny raised a brow at him, “Just don't tell Granger that”

 

She smirked, and make a motion as if she was zipping her lips and throwing away the key, “Your secret's safe with me, Malfoy”

 

He grunted, and turned to grab two spoons out of the island, tossing one to her and pushing one of the pints of ice cream her way, “Eat”

 

She raised an eyebrow, before sitting on a stool and pulling off the top of the frozen treat, “So, your Dad and Hermione...find them that way often?”

 

Draco pulled a face as he shoved a spoonful of chocolate raspberry into his mouth, “More frequently than I care to admit”

 

“But in the office?? Some of Hermione's work is very delicate”

 

“The office, the dining room, the drawing room, the bedroom, that end of the counter” he gestured at Ginny, smirking as she jumped up out of her seat as if it was hot, “Literally, everywhere. I've gotten used to knocking before I go into any doors”

 

She looked at him as if trying to determine if he was telling the truth, and then moved down two stools to be closer to him, “And have you considered just moving out?” she asked, digging in for another bite. Draco shrugged.

 

“I have. But....” the words didn't want to come then, and he looked into the cardboard container. Ginny pretended she didn't see.

 

“Well, how about I help you look?” she offered. Draco looked up in surprise then, spoon poised just in front of his mouth.

 

“You?” he asked. She flushed, and scowled.

 

“I mean, unless you're happy walking in on your parents getting it on”

 

Draco shuddered involuntarily, “My dad. Granger is not now, and never will be one of my parents”

 

“She's techinically your step mum” she needled back, and laughed at his dark look

 

“She's technically younger than me”

“Oh no! Hermione is actually a year older than everyone in your year” she answered, and Draco tipped his head at her curiously.

 

“Her third year. She had a time turner to take all the classes she wanted to. She aged an extra year” she explained.

 

“Ah. Well, that makes it much better then” he responded sourly. Ginny laughed again and dropped her spoon on the counter with a clang.

 

“Really, why don't we try to find you a new place to live? Or maybe just a getaway. For when the silencing spells aren't working” she implored him, her face open and honest, “I have lots of time, you have lots of money, it's a match made in heaven!”

 

Draco laughed genuinely then, and nodded his head, “Alright, we can go look. No guarantees Ginerva” he replied, using her full name just to annoy her.

 

She saluted him mockingly, before digging back in to her ice cream in companionable silence.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a slow post, this was just a lousy work weekend. Hope this makes up for it ;)


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